What is the Difference Between MDM, EMM, and UEM?

If you are familiar with mobility management, you will have heard terms such as MDM, EMM, and UEM. Understanding the differences between these management methods is essential to find the best solution for your organization. Let's take a look at what each one means and offers.

Mobile Device Management (MDM), Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM), Unified Endpoint Management, and (UEM), are just a few of the many names that appear in the mobile management industry. Enterprises often use these terms interchangeably, although they have essential control and scalability differences. 

The right approach to enterprise application development can help a company's growth and progress and reduce employee morale. This can lead to a business going backward rather than enhancing its ability to manage, secure, and control the endpoints connected to the vast network. The evolutionary phases of mobility management have evolved to meet changing business needs.

The Differences Between MDM, EMM, and UEM

In the business world, there is a lot of talk about MDM, EMM, and UEM. But what do these terms mean? And what is the difference between them?

Definition

Mobile Device Management (MDM) is a type of security software that helps protect data on mobile devices. MDM can remotely control and manage devices, as well as manage apps and data. It can also help to prevent unauthorized access to company data. Some MDM solutions are stand-alone products, while others are built into existing mobile enterprise application platform. 

Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) is the process of managing mobile devices, applications, and data for enterprise organizations. It includes security and management features and is often used with Mobile Device Management (MDM) and Mobile Application Management (MAM) solutions. They can be used to remotely configure devices, push out updates and security patches, and enforce policies such as password strength and device encryption. EMM solutions can also track the device location, monitor usage, and activity, and remotely wipe data if a device is lost or stolen.

The need for Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) has been rising in recent years as the number of devices and applications used in the enterprise has increased exponentially. The goal of UEM is to provide a single platform to manage all of these devices and applications, regardless of their operating system, location, or form factor.

The benefits of UEM are many, but the most important is the ability to reduce the complexity of IT management. With a UEM solution in place, IT admins can manage all of their devices and apps from a single console rather than using multiple tools to manage each type of device or app. This not only saves time but also reduces the potential for errors.

Objective

·       MDM - Connectivity

·       EMM - Connectivity + granular level management

·       UEM - Connectivity + granular level management + efficiency

Security

·       EMM and UEM solutions offer more comprehensive security and management features but can also be more complex and expensive.

Cost

·       MDM solutions are typically less expensive than EMM or UEM solutions but offer less functionality.

Delivery

·       MDM solutions are typically delivered as on-premises software, while EMM and UEM solutions are delivered as cloud-based services.

Core Features

EMM

·       Mobile application management

·       Mobile content management

·       Identity access management

·       Containerization

·       Enable condition-based security policies

UEM

·       Unified management

·       Single console

·       IoT management

MDM

·       Device monitoring

·       Wipe and Lock Security

·       Security policies for BYOD and COPE

So, which solution is right for your organization? It depends on your specific needs. An MDM solution may be sufficient if you only need to manage mobile devices. If you need to manage mobile devices and the apps and data on those devices, then an EMM solution may be a better fit. And if you need to manage all endpoint devices in your enterprise, then a UEM solution may be the best option.

Of course, your needs may change over time, so choosing a solution that can grow with you is essential. Many MDM vendors offer EMM-compatible solutions, and some EMM vendors offer UEM-compatible solutions.

In summary, MDM is focused on mobile devices, EMM includes mobile devices and the apps and data on those devices, and UEM includes all endpoint devices in an enterprise. MDM solutions are typically less expensive but offer less functionality than EMM or UEM solutions. When choosing a solution, it's essential to consider your specific needs and choose a solution that can grow with you.

How to choose the right mobility management tool?

With just a few points, choosing the best mobility management tool can be easy. Here are some essential factors to consider when deciding which one to use:

·       How -easy is it to deal with employees' concerns about their security?

·       What are all endpoints to manage?

·       What deployment method would be best for you, a cloud or an on-premises environment?

·       Do we need to be concerned about protecting our company's sensitive information from leaking out?

·       Do you need to integrate new technology into your existing application development processes?

·       It is not necessary to scale the mobile application management infra­structure to meet the changing business needs of both current and near-future requirements.

·       If your end-user needs technical help installing the endpoint, they probably don't know how to install an application.

·       Which management features are required for which employee uses?

·       How significant is your company, and what is the number of devices to be managed?

·       Which type of device do you use for your business?

The Key Takeaway

UEM, MDM, and EMM are all becoming increasingly important components of your company's IT infrastructure. These three components can help enforce and inform company policies to safeguard against cybersecurity threats. The main difference between these solutions is in their management capabilities. MDM focuses on the essential management of mobile devices. It uses device-level policies to manage these devices and puts security protocols in place to provision them. EMM, a more comprehensive approach, covers all aspects of enterprise mobility solutions, including MAM and MCM, MSM, Identity, Access Management, and MDM. UEM is a system that integrates the management of mobile devices and endpoints into one platform.

Choosing the right management tool for your mobility needs is easy once you clearly understand their differences. It is essential to identify and analyze your organization's mobility needs before you can choose the right tool for you.

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